Unseeded Sussette Bell of CA turns Super 32 upside down
Bell took out our favorite and the top seed at 138, delivering the girls tournament's sharpest answer to pre-event expectations.
Sussette Bell of CA made our 5% title estimate look timid. Unseeded at 138, she won the girls title at the 2026 Super 32 Challenge in Greensboro. Our favorite fell in her path, and the top seed could not stop her either.
The champions, weight by weight
- 95: Julianna LaSavage, WI. Final: Tech fall 14-4.
- 100: Abigail Peterson, IA. Final: Fall 10-3.
- 106: Jaclyn Bouzakis, NC. Final: Dec 5-2.
- 112: Christina Estrada, CA. Final: Tech fall 12-2.
- 118: Abigail Gonzalez, FL. Final: Dec 4-1.
- 124: MacKenzie Carder, OH. Final: Dec 6-0.
- 132: Marlee Solomon, PA. Final: Dec 4-0.
- 138: Sussette Bell, CA. Final: Dec 3-2.
- 148: Taina Fernandez, MD. Final: Dec 9-1.
- 160: Kaili Manuel, MI. Final: Fall 5-2.
- 175: Ciyanna Okocha, PA. Final: Tech fall 10-0.
- 200: Zeinab Mourad, FL. Final: Dec 4-2.
The bracket upsets that broke the script
- 138: Sussette Bell of CA beat No. 2 seed Emma Chacon of AZ by decision, 6-3, in the quarterfinals, then edged No. 1 seed Isabella Miller of IA by decision, 3-2, in the final.
- 160: Unseeded Natalie Blanco of CA knocked out No. 1 seed Ella Poalillo of NJ by decision, 6-3, in the semifinals.
- 95: Unseeded Olivia Davalos of CA beat No. 1 seed Brooklyn Murray of NH by decision, 10-3, in the semifinals.
- 95: Unseeded Julianna LaSavage of WI defeated No. 2 seed Sophia Valdez of CO by decision in the semifinals.
- 175: Unseeded Aisha Williams Bautista of TX beat No. 2 seed Juliet Alt of PA by decision, 9-0, in the quarterfinals.
- 200: Unseeded Ella Taylor of NC beat No. 3 seed Kenzie Barrett of FL by decision, 9-4, in the round of 16.
- 124: Unseeded Emma Mantei of MI beat No. 3 seed McKenna Wilson of OK by decision, 3-2, in the round of 32.
Our picks: seven hits, five reasons to look again
We called 7 champions across 12 weights. That leaves five misses, and no, we do not get partial credit for assigning the eventual winner a small chance.
MacKenzie Carder of OH was our loudest lesson at 124. We gave our favorite a 67% title chance, but the No. 5 seed won the championship with a 6-0 final. Carder entered ranked No. 3 nationally, so surprise should only take us so far.
Abigail Gonzalez of FL got just a 6% title chance from us at 118. The No. 2 seed finished with a 4-1 decision in the final. We undersold her.
Julianna LaSavage of WI also got a 6% title chance from us at 95. Her 14-4 technical fall in the final was a blunt correction. An unseeded champion finishing that way deserves more than a footnote.
Our bet for the name every college coach will be talking about is Sussette Bell of CA. Beating the No. 2 seed and the No. 1 seed on the way to a title gives her our vote. The close final does not weaken her case; winning it is the point.